Change speed gear



Feb.28,1939. EHRING- 2,149,020

CHANGE SPEED GEAR Fina Feb.v15, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 Febf 28, 1939. E. HERING 2,149,020

CHANGE SPEED GEAR Filed Feb. '15, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 2 I u-ln M gli Patented- Feb. 28,y 1939 UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE CHANGE SPEED GEAR Ewald Hering, Berlin-Siemensstadt, Germany Application February 15, 1937, Serial No. 125,834

In Germany February 15, 1936 5 claims. (o1. 'x4- 339) My invention relates to change speed gears, slidably arranged on a rod I2 fixed in the casing particularly for use in selfpropelled vehicles I parallel to the shafts such as 5, 6, and 9. I3 is such as motor cars. the 4lay shaft on which two pinions I4 and I5 y It is an object of my invention to provide a are rigidly mounted. Pinion I5 meshes perma- 5 change speed gear in which a, proper engagement nently with pinion 'I and pinion I4 can be 5 of the wheels is secured by suitable synchronizbrought into engagement with pinion I0 when ing means. It is a particular object of my inthe latter is shifted to the right. I6 is a pinion vention to provide means for synchronizing loosely mounted on the lay shaft I3 and being in v wheels arranged on different shafts inv order to permanent mesh with pinion 8. All the shafts 10 bring them into engagement. run in suitable ball bearings as indicated in Fig. 1. 10

It is another object of my invention to provide The pinions I5 and I6 are interconnected by a change speed gear in which a plurality of drivmeans of a unidirectional drive which operates ing shafts is provided so as to obtain in each as a free-wheel clutch. The hub of pinion I5 is position of the change gear lever a plurality of provided with an extension I1 protruding into different speeds. A gear of this kind is paran annular recess I8 of the pinion I6, rollers I9 l5 ticularly effective if combined with a synchrohizbeing interposed between the extension I1 and ing device according to my invention. the circumferential portion of pinion I6 and Other objects of my invention will be seen from held apart from one another by means of extenthe following detailed description and claims. sions 2| radially protruding from the inner sur- 20 In the drawings amxed `to this specification face of ange 20. As will be seen from Fig. 2- 20 and forming part thereof a change speed gear the outer surface of extension I1 is shaped so as according to my invention is diagrammatically to form a set of cams 22 the number of which illustrated by Way of example. is equal to that of the rollers I9. Thus a rota- Ill the drawings tion of pinion I5 and extension I1 inthe direc- 25 Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of tion of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 will not be 25 a change speed gear according to my invention. transmitted to flange 20 and pinion I6 whereas Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections at an enlarged a rotation of pinion I5 in the same direction will scaleA on the lines II--II and III-III, `respeccause a rotation of pinion I5. In other words a tively. 'rotation of the main driving shaft 5 that causes Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the detail the pinion I5 to rotate in the direction of the 30 shown in Fig. 3 including a partly elevational and arrow in Fig. 2 will allowthe hollow shaft 6 to Apartly vsectional view of the dog clutch connectremain stationary whereas a rotation of the lating the mainl driving 4shaft to the driven shaft, ter in the same direction will cause the main 1=ig.5is'a plan view of the central shaft formshaft to rotate, the drive being transmitted ing part of the detail illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. through the pinions 8 and I6, the unidirectional 35 Referring now to the drawings and first to Fig. drive 20, I9, I1, and the pinions I5 and 1. 1, I is the gear box, the cover 2 of which is pro- 23 is a dog clutch for directly coupling the vided with a cone-shaped extension 3, at the top driving shaft 5 to the driven shaft 9. In Figure of which the gear lever 4 is fulcrumed. 'Ihe .1, this clutch is shown in neutral position. The

o driving shaft comprises a main shaft 5 and an sliding pinion I0 is in a position in which the 4o auxiliary hollow shaft 6 mounted on the main fixed set of dogs 5b, between pinion 1 and exten-v shaft 'and rotatable with respect to the latter. sion 5a, is disengaged from the movable dogs of The main shaftI 5 projects inwardly beyond the the clutch formed by the ribs provided on the hollow shaft6 .and has a pinion 1 xed on the inner surface of thev pinion I0 and described in projecting portion. 8 is' a pinion fixed to the more detail hereinafter. It should be understood 45 inner end of the hollow shaft 6. 9 is the driven that the dog clutch 23 in its engaged position,

' shaft. 'I'he innermost end of the main driving whichxis obtained by shifting the pinion I 0 toshaft l5 is formed with an extension 5a which ward the left, will drive the driven shaft 9 even is rotatably received, in the hollow inner end if the hollow shaft 6 is driven by the engine '5g portion of the driven shaft 9. On the driven since', as set out hereabovain this case a rota- 5o shaft`9, there is arranged an axially sliding pintion is imparted to the main shaft 5. ion "lathe-construction of which will be more By shifting-the slidable pinion I0 to the right fully described hereinafter. The sliding pinion it is to be brought in mesh with pinion I4. In can be displaced in axial direction by means of order to facilitate the engagement of these pinthe lever 4 through an intermediate member II Aions a ,device forsynchronizing their speeds is 66 provided which is now to be more fully described with reference to Figs. 1 and 3 to 5.

Pinion I is associated with an auxiliary pinion 24 of relatively small weight. The inner surface 25 of the pinion 24 is shaped as a cone cooperating with the corresponding conical outer surface 26 of an annular member 21 to which one or a plurality of pin-shaped members 28 are secured each of which protrudes through a suitable hole in the flange 29 of pinion I0 into one of the longitudinal grooves 30 provided on the surface of shaft 9 for engagement with corresponding Agrooves 3I provided on the inner surface of pinion I0. The tips Illa of the ribs separating the grooves 3| form the movable dogs of clutch 23. Each of the grooves 39 into which a pin 28 protrudes is enlarged so as to form a recess 32 one of the sides 33 of which the pin 28 will engage as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 whenever the pinion I0 and theV annular member 21 rotate at different speeds, thus preventing a further shifting of pinion I0 in` axial direction. 34 are tension springs arranged in suitable borings 35 provided in the hub of the pinion I0' and the annular member 21 and secured to them so as to tend to draw these members towards each other.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when pinion Ill is shifted to the right in order to bring it into engagement with pinion I4, the auxiliary pinion 24 will engage with pinion I4, and, unless the speeds of shaft 9 and pinion I4 are equal, will impart an angular displacement to annulus 21 so that each pin 28 engages one of the sides 33 of its recess 32 thus locking pinion I0 against further axial displacement. The pressure, however, exerted through lever 4 on pinion I0 will cause a frictional engagementv between pinion 24, annulus 21 and pinion I9 by which the speed of the latter is gradually imparted to the annulus 21 and to pinion 24 until synchronism is reached and pinion I0 becomesfree to engage pinion I4.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The shafts and 6 may be alternatively coupled to a driving engine (not shown) by means of individual friction clutches a and b fixed to the outer ends of the shafts 5 and 6, respectively, and adapted to be brought. alternatively in contact with corresponding coupling surfaces c,. d of a flywheel e rotating with the shaft f of the engine. Thus, either the shaft 5 or the shaft 6 may be coupled to the engine so as to be driven at a predetermined speed, which is the same for both shafts.. A double clutch of this type is described and claimed in detail in my copending patent application Serial No. 125,251.

Be it assumed that the members of the change speed gear are in the position in which the inner ribs of the pinion I0 engage the dogs 5b, and the shaft 5 is thus directly coupled to the driven shaft 9. Then the driven shaft 9 will rotate at the highest possible speed (fourth speed) if shaft 5 is coupled to the engine. If, however, shaft E is coupled to the engine shaft 5 will be rotated in the manner described hereabove through pinions 8, I9, unidirectional drive 20, I9, I1, and pinions I5, 1. Obviously with gear ratios provided by pinions such as shown in Fig. 1 the speed of the shafts 5 and 9 Will be much lower than in the rst case in which shaft 5 is coupled to the engine.

Besides the engaged position of the members of the change speed gear and the neutral position shown in Fig. l, there is still another position in which the dog clutch 23 is disengaged andpinion Ill meshes with pinion I4. In this position too the driven shaft 9 may be rotated at two different speeds by driving the lay shaft I3 either from shaft 5 through pinions 1 and I5 or from shaft B through pinions 8 and I6 and the unidirectional drive 20, I9, I1.

Thus it will be seen that there are obtainable 'four different speeds with only two positions of the lever 4. It should be understood that for shifting pinion I0 into engagement with pinion I4 by means of lever 4 when the vehicle is running it is not absolutely necessary to fully dis- .engage both the couplings connecting the shafts 5 and 6 to the engine. On the contrary, owing to the provision ofthe unidirectional drive between the shafts, this step, if desired, may be carried out with hollow shaft 6 connected to the engine by means of the friction clutch b.

It should be understood that a reverse gear wheel may be provided which may be designed and arranged in customary manner and does not need a detailed description.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A change speed gear comprising two shafts, a pinion fixedly mounted on one of said shafts, a pinion mounted axially displaceable on the other shaft and having a hub, an annular member loosely mounted on said hub and having a conical outer surface, a second annular member loosely mounted on said rst annular member and having aconical inner surface being in frictional engagement with the conical outer surface of said rst annular member, said second annular member being designed as an auxiliary pinion and means for locking said second pinion against axial displacement whenever said second pinion and said rst annular member rotate at diierent speeds.

2. A change speed gear as claimed in claim 1, said locking means comprising a pin-shaped member secured to said f lrst annular member and protruding through a hole in said hub into a longitudinal groove provided on said other shaft, said groove being provided with an enlargement arranged so as to be entered by said pin-shaped member when said second pinion approaches said first pinion.

3. A change speed gear comprising two driving shafts, a lay shaft, a driven shaft, a xed pinion on each of said driving shafts, a fixed anda loosely mounted pinion on said lay shafts, said pinions being in mesh with said pinions on said driving shafts, respectively, a unidirectional drive arranged between said pinions on said lay shaft, a third pinion xedly mounted on said lay shaft, a pinion mounted axially displaceable on said driven shaft and having a hub extended in direction to said third pinion on said lay shaft, an annular member loosely mounted on said hub and having a conicalouter surface, a second annular member loosely mounted on said first annular member and having a conical inner surface being in frictional engagement with the conical outer surface of said first annular member, said second annular member being designed as an auxiliary pinion and lmeans for'locking said pinion 'on said driven shaft against axial displacement Whenever said pinion on said driven shaft and said first annular member rotate at different speeds.

4. A change speed gear as claimed inclaim 3, said locking means comprising a pin-shaped member secured to said rst annular member and protruding through a hole in said hub into a longitudinal groove provided on said driven shaft, said groove being provided with an enlargement arranged so as to be entered by said pin-shaped member when said pinion on said driven shaft approaches said third pinion on said lay shaft.

5. A change speed gear comprising two shafts, a pinion ixed to one of said shafts, a pinion axially displaceable on the other shaft for engagement with and disengagement from said rst pinion, an annular member mounted for axial displacement with said second pinion, a second annular member arranged for frictional engagement and axial displacement with said rst annular member, said second annular member includin'g an auxiliary ypinion engaging said first pinion during the ilrst stage of the axial displacement of the second pinion towards the rst pinion, and means controlled by said ilrst annular member to lock said second pinion against further displacement in the said direction as long as said second pinion and said auxiliary pinion are rotated at diilerent speeds.

EWALD HERING. 

